Arrangement disguising a toy cap gun



Aug. 23, 1966 J. w. RYAN 3,267,600

ARRANGEMENT DISGUISING A TOY CAP GUN Filed Jan. 18, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 23, 1966 J. w. RYAN ARRANGEMENT DISGUISING A TOY CAP GUN 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1965 Aug. 23, 1966 J. w. RYAN 3,267,600

ARRANGEMENT DISGUISING A TOY CAP GUN Filed Jan. 18, 1965 :3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,267,600 ARRANGEMENT DISGUISING A TOY CAP GUN John W. Ryan, Bel Aire, Califi, assignor to Mattel, Inc., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 18, 1965', Ser. No. 426,150 9 Claims. (Cl. 4254) The arrangement relates to my cap guns and particularly to a gun having manipulat-able structural features that enable the article to alternately appear as a simulated weapon or as an innocuous nonweapon article.

The invention as disclosed comprehends alternate Iforms. Both (forms, however, exhibit a highly eifective and efficient toy cap gun arrangement which represents a desirable play item for children of cap gun age. Specifically, a first embodiment of the invention comprehends the first and second housings pivotally connected to each other together with means to secure the housings to each other in a plurality of positions. A simulated gun barrel is provided which is telescopically mounted in an appropriate passage in one of the housings and is reciprocally moveable therein to extended and recessed positions. The embodiment presents a high degree of play novelty for children of tender years in that the simulated gun barrel may be recessed in the passage and the housings appropriately afiixed to each other so that the arrangement simulates the innocuous appearance of a toy radio.

An alternate embodiment of the invention again comprehends a pair of housings pivotally associated with one another again for movement to several fixed positions relative to each other. One of the housings again telescopically receives a simulated gun barrel, said barrel being moveable from an extended to a recessed position therein. With the gun barrel placed in recessed position and the pair of housings secured to a first' position relative to each other, the arrangement presents the innocuous appearance of a portable hand camera.

In both embodiments of the invention, however, the respective gun barrels may be quickly and easily moved to extended position by the child at play. The respective housings may quickly be moved to a second and fixed position relative to each other, whereupon the toy takes on the appearance of a gun, namely a cap gun. Specifically the toy radio may assume the physical appearance of a rifle, while the toy camera assumes the physical configuration of a hand gun, specifically, an automatic pistol.

Both embodiments incorporate means to store, in roll torm, strips of percussive caps as well as a novel mechanism to cause detonation. Specifically, the cap firing arrangement comprises an anvil pivotally connected to the gun handle and defining a cap storag compartment. A hammer is pivotally mounted within the chamber defined by the gun handle and in operative relationship with the anvil surtace. Spring means are provided normally biasing the hammer into sunface contact with the anvil. A trigger is carried within the handle housing for pivotal movement relative thereto. A cap strip advancing pawl is pivotally connected to the trigger and has a cap strip advancing edg in juxtaposition to the anvil surface. Spring means are provided which normally bias the trigger to a non-firing position and concurrently bias the pawl toward surface contact with the anvil. Cam lobes are provided on the trigger and hammer, respectively, and engage each other as the trigger is moved to rfiring position. As a result of this engagement, motion of the trigger induces pivotal movement of the hammer out of contact with the anvil surface. Continued motion of the trigger results in disengagement of the cam lobes, whereby, the first mentioned spring means are eifective to rapidly bias the hammer toward the anvil and cause impact contact therewith which is eife'ctive to detonate an interposed cap.

3,267,600 Patented August 23, 1966 The movement of the trigger to firing position concurrently induces movement of the pawl over the anvil surface, thus providing for cap strip advancement. The pivot carrying the hammer tfrom the handle housing is additionally provided with slot clearance, hence when the child releases the trigger the second mentioned spring means biases the trigger to non-firing position. Secondary or return contact between the cam lobes results and causes slot movement Oif th pivot relative to the hammer thereby allowing the cam lobes to pass each other so that the trigger may return to firing position. After the secondary contact of the cam lobes, the first mentioned spring means biases the hammer into its normal firing relationship with the anvil and with the pivotal mount.

These and other [features of the invention will become apparent in the course of the [following description and from examination of the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment ot the invention and showing a toy rifle,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a the structure of "FIGURE 1 illustrating the arrangement in closed position simulating the appearance of a portable radio,

FIGURE 2A is a side elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 1, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, to illustrate the structural details,

FIGURE :3 is a sectional view taken along line \3- 3 of IFIGURE 2A,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating the arrangement with gun barrel locked in recessed position,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional vie-w taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2A and showing the housings locked in rifle simulating position,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIGURE 5, and illustrating the release position of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment Olf the invention and showing the arrangement in collapsed or portable camera appearing position,

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the arrangement of FIGURE 7 and showing the device in expanded or gun simulating position,

[FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the mode of locking the arrangement in camera simulating position,

FIGURE 10 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, and showing the cap firing mechanism employed in the gun handle of both embodiments of the invention,

'FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 1111 of FIGURE 10,

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIGURE 10,

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 13-43 of FIGURE 8, and

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the mechanism in initiating firing position.

Referring to the drawings and specifically to the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 6, numeral 20 generally indicates a central or main housing. A secondary or second housing 22 is pivotally connected to the central housing as at 24 and is moveable around that pivot from the open position illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the closed position illustrated in FIGURE 2. It will be noted that in the open position of FIGURE 1 the second housing 22 offers the visual appearance of the stock of a rifle. Additionally, second housing 22 defines, internally thereof, a hollow cavity 26 having an opening 28 communicating therewith. As the housing 22 is moved to the closed position shown in FIGURE 2, gun handle housing 30, integrally formed with main housing 3 is telescopically received within the cavity 26 by insertion through the opening 28.

Main housing 20 is provided with an elongated passage 32 having a tubular gun barrel 34 telescopically received therein. Abutments 36 are formed on the rear end of the gun barrel 34 and are engageable with the front wall of housing 20 to prevent disassembly of the barrel 34 from the passage 32. Spring means, specifically, the coil spring 38 is disposed in the passage 32 and in pressured engagement with the rear wall of the housing 20 and barrel wall 40 and normally biases the barrel to extended position shown in FIGURE 2A.

The barrel 34 may be manually moved to recessed position within the passage 32 and may be locked therein. For this purpose a locking mechanism, indicated generally at 42 (FIGURES 3 and 4), is provided. A boss 44 is formed at the outer extremity of the gun barrel 34 and projects downwardly therefrom. The locking mechanism 42 comprises a lever 46 pivotally carried, as at 48, by the housing 20. A first arm 50 projects upwardly through aperture 52 above the upper wall of the housing 20 offering means to manually pivot the lever 46. A lower segment of the lever 46 has an arcuate portion 52 embracing the barrel 34 and having an upwardly directed locking boss 54 immediately below the barrel. Cantilever spring element 56 is compressively interposed between the housing 20 and the lever 46 to normally bias the lever in the locking direction. To lock the barrel in 34 closed position, the child merely moves the lever 46 in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, forces the barrel 34 inwardly of the passage 32 compressing spring 38, and, upon release of the lever 46, the locking boss 54 takes up the position forwardly (as seen in FIGURE 2A) of the boss 44 and retains the barrel in position within the passage 2. The barrel may be released by clockwise pivoting of lever 46 whereupon spring 38 will bias the barrel to extended position.

A second locking arrangement is indicated generally at 58 in FIGURES 2A, 5 and 6. The purpose of the locking arrangement 58 is to retain the secondary housing 22 in rifle simulating position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2A. The locking arrangement 58 comprises a cantilever spring 60 attached to the wall 62 of the housing 22. The spring 60 normally biases the housing 22 to closed position shown in FIGURE 2. An aperture 64 is provided in the wall 62, and, in the open position of the housings, is aligned with another aperture 66 in the adjacent wall of the housing 20. A lever arrangement indicated generally at 68 is provided and is pivoted at 70 to the housing 20. The lever 68 comprises an upwardly directed segment 72 extending through an aperture in housing 20 for easy manual manipulation. At the lower extremity of segment 72 a second lever segment 74 is provided which extends through the apertures 64 and 66. The extremity of segment 74 is provided with hook 76. With the housings 20 and 22 in open position, the lever arrangement 68 may be moved so that the hook 76 embraces the spring 60, fixedly maintaining the housings in open position.

To complete the arrangement, the central housing 20 has mounted thereabove a tubular structure indicated generally at 78. The structure 78 has central reduced cylinder 80 having enlarged cylinders 82, 82 formed at opposed ends thereof. Considering FIGURE 1, it will be apparent that the tubular structure 78, with the arrangement in open position and gun barrel extended, assumes the appearance of a hollow telescopic sight of a conventional rifle. On the other hand, with the gun barrel recessed, and the housings 20 and 22 in closed position, the structure 78 offers the visual appearance of a handle complementing the portable radio appearance of the device in this form.

Directing attention to the embodiment of FIGURES 7 through 9, the numeral 86 generally indicates a main or central housing. A secondary housing 88 is pivotally carried as at 90 (FIGURE 13) from the main housing 86. A spring 92 is coiled about the pivot 90 and has opposed ends 94 and 96 in pressured engagement with the housings 86 and 88 respectively. Thus the spring 92 is effective to normally bias the housing 88 to the open position shown in FIGURE 8.

The housing 86 is provided with a longitudinally extended passage 98, said passage receiving a gun barrel 100. Lug 102 is carried by the barrel to prevent disassem bly thereof when the barrel is in extended position. Spring means, such as the coil spring 104, is disposed within the passage 98 and barrel 100 and in pressured interposition between the rear wall of housing 86 and barrel wall 106. Thus, the spring 104 is effective to normally bias the barrel 100 to extended position.

A latching mechanism, indicated generally at 108, is provided and comprises a lever pivotally carried by the housing 86 as at 112. The lever 110 extends outwardly of the housing through an adjacent opening for manual manipulation thereof. Spring means 114 normally bias the lever in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 8.

The lever 110 is further provided with a first locking boss 116 and a second locking boss 118. Barrel 100 has slot 120 formed at the inner end thereof, whereby upon movement of the barrel 100 through the passage 98 to recessed position, the locking boss 116 is deposited within slot 120 retaining the barrel in recessed position against to biasing force of spring 104.

The housing 88 has formed notch 122 designed to receive locking boss 118 upon pivotal movement of the housing 88 to closed position. The boss 118, upon reception within the notch 122, effectively locks the housing 88 in closed position relative to housing 86. The locked condition of the mechanism 108 is shown in FIGURE 9.

Thus in the structure of FIGURES 7 through 9, the gun barrel 100 may be recessed within the passage 98 and the housing 88 moved to closed position relative to the housing 86. Mechanism 108 locks both components in this position. In this aspect of the invention the structure assumes the innocuous appearance of the portable hand camera shown in FIGURE 7. When desired, the child merely depresses lever 110 disengaging the lock. The barrel 100 immediately is biased to open position via spring 104 while the housing 88 is pivotally biased to open position relative to housing 86 via spring 92. The entire arrangement immediately becomes an etfective toy cap gun and assumes the dangerous appearance of an automatic pistol.

An identical firing mechanism to detonate conventional strip caps is carried by the housing 88 or the grip housing 30 and is illustrated in detail in FIGURES 10 through 12. The firing mechanism will independently be described in detail and without specific reference to either of the above described embodiments.

A housing of hand grip configuration carries a trigger mechanism 132 via pivot 134. The trigger 132' may be finger-gripped at segment 136. A cap housing 138 is pivotally connected, as at 140, to the housing 130. The housing 138 is hollow, permitting the reception of a roll of caps 142, and is further provided with an open 'ing 144 to allow the caps to be strip inserted over an anvil surface 146 and through an opening 148 externally of the housing 130. The pivot is received within slot 150 of the cap housing 138, accommodating movement of the housing against the pressure of hammer 152 so that the housing 138 may be disassociated from its wall lock at 154 and pivoted outwardly of the housing 130 for cap loading. The hammer 152 is provided with a striking face 156, the latter being normally in plane engagement with the surface of anvil wall 146. The hammer 152 is pivoted to the housing 130, as at 158, said pivot being received within slot formed within hammer 152. Canti'lever spring 161 is compressively interposed between the housing 130, as at 162, and the hammer 152, as at 164, to normally bias the hammer toward anvil Wall 146. The pressure of spring 160 additionally maintains the cap housing 138 in closed position within the housing 130.

An advancing pawl 164 is pivotally connected, at 166, to a segment of the trigger 132. The pawl 164 is directed downwardly and is provided with a strip advancing edge 170, immediately adjacent the surface of anvil wall 146. A spring 172 surrounds pivot 134 and has an extremity in pressured engagement, as at 174, with the housing 130. The other extremity of the spring 172 pressure engages the pawl 164 via slot reception as at 176 and performs the double function of biasing the pawl in a counterclockwise direction toward the surface of anvil wall 146 and biasing the trigger 132 in a clockwise direction to nonfiring position.

The hammer 152 is provided with a cam lobe 178 which extends outwardly therefrom and toward the trigger 132. The trigger 132, in turn, carries cam lobe 180 immediately adjacent cam lobe 178.

In operation of the firing mechanism, the child grasps housing 130 in his hand and finger induces pivotal movement of the trigger 136 in a counterclockwise or firing direction. As a result of this pivotal movement, pawl advancing edge 170 engages the cap strip on the surface of the anvil wall 146 and is moved downwardly therealong by continued pivotal movement of the trigger. This accomplishes advancement of the cap strip. Concurrently, the cam lobes 178 and 180 engage, and counterclockwise movement of the trigger 136 induces clockwise movement of the hammer 152 disengaging surface 156 with the surface of anvil wall 146 as is clearly shown in FIGURE 14. This motion is continued until cam lobe 180 slips by cam lobe 178, whereupon the compressed spring 161 induces a rapid counterclockwise motion of the hammer 152, bringing its surface 156 into impact contact with the anvil wall 146. The impact blow explodes an interposed cap. When firing is complete, the lobe 180 of trigger 132 is below the cam lobe 178 of hammer 152. Upon manual release of the trigger, the trigger is biased in a clockwise direction about pivot 134 by the action of spring 172. The clockwise motion causes the lobe 180 to again contact the lobe 178. Spring 172 is provided with sufiicient force to somewhat flex spring 161 and accommodate movement of the hammer 152 relative to pivot 158 within slot 160. Thus the lobe 180 is allowed to pass the lobe 178 and resume a position thereabove. Upon passage, the spring 161 returns the hammer 152 to the proper position of pivot 158. In this manner the firing sequence is automatically repeated.

Patently, the invention disclosed provides a novel cap gun arrangement including a cap firing mechanism readily adaptable to a toy having the child intriguing feature of being disguisable into an article having a non-Weapon appearance. The design of the firing mechanism presents the novel feature of allowing the escape of the cap strip from below the gun hard grip. Thus the cap strip escape structure is hidden when the arrangements are in closed position. Thus there is no hint, to the childs playmates, that the apparently non-dangerous item really masks a deadly weapon. The easily arranged components of the structures are such that the child, at any time, may readily open the device quickly and with an element of surprise converting the device into an arrangement simulating a real gun. The intriguing nature of the invention as well as its heightened in play value is thought to be apparent.

The invention as shown is by Way of illustration and may be subject to various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising:

first and second housings;

a cap-firing mechanism mounted on one of said housings and comprising a manually operable trigger,

the other housing being movably mounted on said one housing and having a chamber therein and an opening from the exterior of said other housing into said chamber, said other housing being mounted on said one housing for movement between a first position wherein said chamber encloses and hides said trigger and a second position wherein said trigger is exposed, and

means for selectively maintaining said other housing in said first position wherein it and said one housing jointly define a shape simulating an innocuous object, or in said second position wherein it and said one housing simulate a gun, a gun barrel simulating member mounted on said first housing and adapted to be hidden therewithin, means for maintaining said gun barrel member hidden within said first housing -when said second housing is in said first position, and means for exposing said gun barrel member when said second housing is in said second position.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said gun barrel member is slidably mounted within said first housing, and wherein said means for maintaining said gun barrel member hidden within said first housing comprises a movable locking lever mounted on said housing and engageable with said gun barrel member, and said gun barrel member exposing means comprises a spring for urging said gun barrel to a position wherein it extends outwardly of said first housing,

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said trigger-enclosing housing is pivotally mounted on said one housing.

4. The toy of claim 3 wherein a third housing simulating a gun handle depends from and is fixedly secured to said one housing and encloses and supports said capfiring mechanism, and wherein said chamber in said other housing encloses and hides said third housing when it is in said first position.

5. The toy of claim 4 wherein said housings are constructed to simulate the body portion and stock, respectively, of a rifle when said other housing is in said second position, and to complement each other to simulate a portable-type radio when said other housing is in said first position.

6. The toy of claim 1 wherein said position maintaining means comprise a spring member for urging said other housing to said second position, and a manually operable locking lever movably mounted on said one housing and engageable with said other housing to lock it in said first position against the force of said spring member.

7. The toy of claim 6 wherein said housings are constructed to complement each other to simulate a handtype camera when said other housing is in said first position, and to simulate a pistol when said other housing is in said second position.

8. The toy of claim 1 wherein said first housing and said one housing are the same.

9. The toy of claim 1 wherein said first housing and said other housing are the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,374 4/1904 Mason 42-54 2,706,067 4/1955 Mills 4257 X 2,996,823 8/1961 Weimer 4257 3,026,643 3/ 1962 Goldfarb 4257 3,042,262 7/1962 Powell 4257 X 3,060,633 10/1962 Glass et a1 1242 X 3,094,110 6/ 1963 Ryan 42-57 X BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

R. V. LO'ITMANN, S. W. ENGLE, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A TOY COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND HOUSING; A CAP-FIRING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID HOUSINGS AND COMPRISING A MANUALLY OPERABLE TRIGGER, THE OTHER HOUSING BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ONE HOUSING AND HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN AND AN OPENING FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID OTHER HOUSING INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID OTHER HOUSING BEING MOUNTED ON SAID ONE HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID CHAMBER ENCLOSES AND HIDES SAID TRIGGER AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID TRIGGER IS EXPOSED, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MAINTAINING SAID OTHER HOUSING IN SAID FIRST POSITION WHEREIN IT AND SAID ONE HOUSING JOINTLY DEFINE A SHAPE SIMULATING AN INNOCUOUS OBJECT, OR IN SAID SECOND POSITION WHEREIN IT AND SAID ONE HOUSING SIMULATE A GUN, A GUN BARREL SIMULATING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE HIDDEN THEREWITHIN, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID GUN BARREL MEMBER HIDDEN WITHIN SAID FIRST HOUSING WHEN SAID SECOND HOUSING IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION, AND MEANS FOR EXPOSING SAID GUN BARREL MEMBER WHEN SAID SECOND HOUSING IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION. 